Office of the Historian

79. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs Robertson and Senator Knowland, Washington, October 19, 19551

Washington, October 19, 1955

SUBJECT

  • Johnson–Wang Talks in Geneva

Senator Knowland telephoned from California this afternoon to express his surprise over the press reports of the Secretary’s press conference yesterday.2

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He stated he had understood that we would not enter into any substantive discussions of subjects under Item 2 of the Agenda until we were satisfied that the implementation of the September 10th announcement had been initiated in good faith. He was concerned that we had apparently abandoned our firm position. I explained to him that we had not abandoned Item 1 and would not do so until the last civilian had been released. Furthermore that while both sides had listed subjects to be discussed under Item 2, the only substantive discussion which had taken place concerned the renunciation of force, to which the Communists incidentally take violent exception. In other words, discussing the renunciation of force in no way represented a weakening of our position or a concession to the Communists viewpoint.

Senator Knowland said that in a speech today before a luncheon meeting in California he expected to take the position that we should not have any discussions under Item 2 of the Agenda until “the 19 Americans rotting in Communist jails have been released”. He asked that I inform the Secretary of our conversation on his return from Denver.3

  1. Source: Department of State/Central Files, 611.93/10–1955. Drafted by Robertson.↩
  2. Secretary Dulles stated at his October 18 press conference that/while the United States reserved the right “to reopen item one at any time if it does not seem that the agreement is being carried out in good faith”, Ambassadors Johnson and Wang had begun substantive discussions under agenda item two and that “the question of renunciation of force has been discussed and the question of trade embargo is to be discussed.” For a transcript of the press conference, see Department of State Bulletin, October 31, 1955, pp. 687–690.↩
  3. The Secretary was in Denver to consult with the President before his departure for the Foreign Ministers Conference in Geneva.↩